SmackDown Countdown 2004: Chuck Palumbo

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This Natural Born Thriller means business.

By Jeremy Dunham

To call it IGN's most popular recurring feature would be an understatement. And to think that we would ever let a year go by where we didn't revisit the famed SmackDown Countdown is a serious mistake on all parts. So for this, our fourth consecutive year, your friends here at IGNPS2 have returned to the squared circle to once bring you just one step closer to the men and women that do so much to make THQ's successful wrestling franchise what it is: awesome.

And fittingly enough, this year's edition of the fashionable franchise is easily its most ambitious version to date, as WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW marks the first time in the series' history that it takes a step into the online arena. And though this new version does suffer from a slightly smaller roster when compared to last year's Here Comes the Pain, it still manages to pack in an incredible amount of new features that should more than make up for the lack of wrestlers. Refined graphics, smarter AI, better grappling mechanics, and an improved presentation are just a few of the improvements worth mentioning; with several other more subtle refinements, best left for you to the gamer to uncover.

In the meantime, we're dedicating ourselves to bringing our fans the best damn SmackDown coverage they could ever hope for. As we're spending the next seven weeks highlighting all 52 current and legendary superstars on the SmackDown vs. RAW roster in a way we haven't done before. So to do things a little bit differently, we're going to reward dedicated wrestling fans by giving them two wrestlers every Monday and Thursday (the nights that SmackDown! and RAW air on television) in addition to our solo updates on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. When we reach the legends in our countdown, we'll go ahead and up the ante again by providing you with two of them every day until we've reached all eleven. Sound good? Thought so!

But enough with the setup already, let's get the show on the road! So sit back, relax, and enjoy today's Countdown superstar, Chuck Palumbo!

Height: 6'5"

Hometown: San Diego, CA

Weight:255lbs

Chuck Palumbo is no stranger to wrestling with champions. Best known as a tag-team specialist, he won the WCW Tag Team Championship on four occasions, as well as capturing the World Tag Team Championship.

Palumbo first made a name for himself by "invading" WCW with a faction called the New Blood, a group of young stars looking to make WCW their playground. Palumbo and his cohorts formed a team known as the Natural Born Thrillers and went on to establish themselves as serious players in the industry. Upon joining World Wrestling Entertainment, Palumbo became part of the WCW-ECW Alliance that tore through the ranks of WWE. When the forces of WWE vanquished the upstart invaders, Palumbo, quickly seized an opening by teaming with Billy Gunn and enlisting the "fashionable services" of Rico. Together they pulled off the publicity stunt of the decade with their "commitment ceremony." Gunn and Palumbo eventually won the World Tag Team Championship on two occasions. Before coming to RAW in the draft lottery of 2004, he was a member of the ruthless and cunning FBI.

Palumbo is a phenomenal athlete and great things are expected of him. In the past, he found success teaming with others, but don't be surprised if this thoroughbred sets off on his own and establishes himself as one of the best wrestlers in the sport.

That's it for today's installment of the 2004 SmackDown Countdown. We'll be back again tomorrow with our next superstar (keep in mind that all statistical attributes are considered temporary until the final version of the game ships this November). In the meantime, check our table below for links to the superstars we've already covered and for hints as to who you can expect to see next. See you again real soon!